1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to can dispensers generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel can dispenser that is economically constructed.
2. Background Art
Can dispensing devices are used to conserve cabinet counter space, for example, and to display the cans so that the contents thereof are readily ascertainable. Typically, the can dispensers hold a plurality of cans vertically and have various methods of removing one can from the stacks.
Some known dispensers are described in the following patent documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,400, issued May 26, 1931, to Gallagher, and titled CUP CONTAINER, describes a cup holder which comprises a plurality of vertical cup-containing tubes rotatingly supported in a base structure, the base structure including a recess defined therein. In use, cups are placed in the cup-containing tubes, with the handles thereof protruding through vertical slots that extend the length of the tubes, and the cups are supported in the tubes by means of pivoting bars disposed at the lower end of the tubes. When it is desired to remove a cup from the bottom of one of the tubes, that tube is aligned with the recess and the bar at the bottom of that tube is rotated out of the way. The bottom cup then is pressed downwardly into the recess, compressing springs therein, and the cup is then removed from the recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,129, issued Aug. 20, 1940, to Rust and titled CAN RACK, describes, in one embodiment, a can rack comprising a vertical tube of resilient material, tapered such that the bottom is narrower than the top and the tube has an opening that is somewhat less than the diameter of cans to be placed therein. To remove a can, a spring-loaded latch is released and the bottom can drops into a cut-away portion of the tube at the bottom thereof, the cutaway portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of the cans. Release of the latch causes the latch to hold the other cans in place. In another embodiment, the resilient tube is straight-sided and any can may be removed from the tube by pulling on the can such that the resilient sides of the tube are spread apart.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,704, issued Nov. 12, 1940, to Farley, and titled HOLDER, describes a holder for a plurality of marbles or the like that comprises a series of slots defined in the periphery of a cylinder. Except for the bottom end of the slots, the edges of the slots are closely spaced. At the lower end of the slots, the edges of the slots are widely spaced. In the plate closing the bottom of the slots are defined a plurality of openings. To remove a marble from a slot, the tube of marbles is raised up by inserting a finger in the opening at the bottom of that slot, such that the bottom marble is within the bottom portion of the slot in which the sides of the slot are widely spaced. The marble is then removed from the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,853, issued Mar. 2, 1954, to Schneider, and titled DISPLAY STAND FOR STACKED CONTAINERS, describes a display stand that comprises a plurality of vertical columns having partitions therebetween, the partitions having edges that are closer together than the diameter of the items stacked therein. The topmost item is to be removed from a column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,662, issued Mar. 20, 1979, to Drexler, and titled DISPLAY AND DISPENSER, describes a dispenser for containers of pills or food supplements comprising a rotatable, clear plastic cylinder in which are formed vertical columns to receive the containers. The containers are removed through an opening formed in the bottoms of the columns. An information carrier is placed adjacent the containers in a column to describe what the containers in that column contain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,149, issued Jun. 27, 1989, to Vining, and titled PITCHER DISPENSER, describes a pitcher dispenser comprising a plurality of vertical tubes having slots extending the length thereof for the protrusion of the handles of pitchers stacked therein. The openings in the bottoms of the tubes are partially closed, such that the bottom pitcher can be removed from the bottom of a tube only after raising the other pitchers in that tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,165, issued Feb. 2, 1993, to Acona et al., and titled KITCHEN STORAGE UNIT, describes a storage device which, in relevant part, comprises a set of pluralities of openings each of which is designed to horizontally hold therein a bottle or a can, for example.
The foregoing devices are in some cases complicated, have moving parts, and are not readily expandable.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a can dispenser that has no moving parts.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a can dispenser that is expandable to hold a desired number of cans therein.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a can dispenser that can be economically constructed using conventional manufacturing techniques.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.
The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by providing, in a preferred embodiment, a can dispenser, comprising: a housing including a base unit and one or more stacking units removably disposed on said 5 base unit, said base unit and said one or more stacking units defining together a plurality of vertical, arcuate, can-containing channels therein; edges of said vertical, arcuate, can-containing channels in said base unit extending to less than diameters of cans in said vertical, arcuate, can-containing channels so that said cans can be removed therefrom; and edges of said vertical, arcuate, can-containing channels in said one or more stacking units extending past diameters of cans in said vertical, arcuate, can-containing channels to hold said cans in place therein.